STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
JAMES LEE PRESLEY, APPELLEE
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
Florida appealed the suppression of evidence obtained from a warrantless arrest for disorderly intoxication. The trial court applied an incorrect legal standard by determining whether the defendant was actually guilty rather than whether the officer had probable cause to believe the defendant was guilty. The appellate court reversed, holding that the officer had substantial reason to believe the defendant committed disorderly intoxication based on his conduct in the roadway.
The trial court applied an improper standard by determining whether Presley was actually guilty rather than whether the officer had substantial reason to believe he was guilty. The court reversed because the officer had probable cause based on Presley's conduct—standing in the roadway yelling and waving, causing cars to change directions—which provided substantial reason to believe he was endangering others and property in violation of the disorderly intoxication statute.
[1] A warrantless arrest for a misdemeanor is lawful if the arresting officer has substantial reason to believe the arrestee is guilty of a crime, regardless of whether the a…
[2] A trial court errs by applying an incorrect legal standard when determining the lawfulness of a warrantless arrest for a misdemeanor.
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“When considering whether a police officer lawfully arrests someone without a warrant, for a misdemeanor, the court determines whether the officer had substantial reason to believe the arrestee is guilty of a crime. Whether the person is, in fact, guilty is not determinative of the legality of the arrest.”
Establishes the proper legal standard for evaluating warrantless misdemeanor arrests—probable cause belief, not actual guilt
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceOfficer Krakowski was outside a bar at 2:00 a.m. when the doorman requested assistance removing Presley, who was causing a disturbance inside. After b…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
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DAUKSCH, Judge.
This is an appeal from an order granting a motion to suppress evidence in a criminal ease.
Appellee was arrested for disorderly intoxication,1 searched incident to that arrest and illegal drugs were found and seized.
The issue on appeal is whether the trial judge applied the proper legal standard when considering the motion to suppress. It is our conclusion he did not and therefore we reverse. When considering whether a police officer lawfully arrests someone without a warrant, for a misdemeanor, the court determines whether the officer had substantial reason to believe the arrestee is guilty of a crime. Whether the person is, in fact, guilty is not determinative of the legality of the arrest. State v. Warren, 329 So. 2d 383 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976); Rosenberg v. State, 264 So. 2d 68 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972).
Officer Krakowski of the Daytona Beach Police Department was standing outside of a singles bar at 2:00 a.m. The doorman of the bar asked the policeman for assistance because appellee was causing a disturbance in the bar, calling a bar patron a filthy name and generally misbehaving himself. The doorman asked the officer to assist by removing appellee from the bar. After that was accomplished, appellee went into the street, U.S. Highway A1A, Atlantic Boulevard, a well-traveled roadway along the beach. Appellee was loud and boisterous, spoke with slurred speech, was glassy-eyed and unsteady on his feet. When told to leave a few times by the policeman, appellee began yelling at him challenging the officer to arrest him. Because appellee was in the roadway, causing passing cars to have to change directions of movement to avoid hitting him, the policeman arrested him for disorderly intoxication. The search incident to arrest turned up marijuana and cocaine.
Appellee disagreed with some of the facts testified to by the policeman but did not say he was not in the roadway. He said he was not drunk, that he called the “big guy” in the bar an Iranian, not an asshole, that he was not enticing the policeman to arrest him, but was waving to his best friend Eric and asking him to get the car and take him home.
It is not a question of credibility of witnesses with which we are concerned. The trial judge specifically found appellee was intoxicated. He obviously believed the policeman rather than appellee. A reading of the transcript supports that conclusion, to say the least.
The question before us, as was said, is the standard of proof. The trial judge found “[t]hat he did not endanger the safety of another person or another’s property.” The trial judge also found “[tjhat he did not cause a public disturbance, within the meaning of Florida Statute 856.011.” While the trial judge may conclude the facts would not support a verdict of guilty if he were trying the case he could not have properly concluded that the police officer did not have substantial reason to believe appellee was guilty. Calling a big guy in a bar an asshole or an Iranian, being kicked out of the bar and standing in the roadway yelling is sufficient evidence to give an officer substantial reason to believe the person is creating a public disturbance. One’s standing in the roadway waving arms and shouting, causing cars to have to turn to avoid striking him is endangering another’s property. If one of those cars had hit appellee it would have damaged the car. Or, if in avoiding hitting appellee, the car had hit another then someone or something would have been hurt or damaged. Thus, appellee’s actions could provide a reasonable person with substantial reason to believe, or, to use the traditional language, with probable cause to believe, that appellee was endangering others and their property.
The order is reversed and this cause remanded for trial.
REVERSED and REMANDED.
COBB, C.J., and FRANK D. UP-CHURCH, Jr., J., concur. . § 856.011, Fla.Stat. (1983), in pertinent part, provides:
Disorderly intoxication.—
(1) No person in the state shall be intoxicated and endanger the safety of another person or property, and no person in the state shall be intoxicated or drink any alcoholic beverage in a public place or in or upon any public conveyance and cause a public disturbance.
(2) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
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Citator
Cited By
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State v. Terence William Morey, 530 So. 2d 443 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988)…PER CURIAM. The state has appealed from an order granting a motion to suppress. We reverse upon authority of Kirby v. State, 217 So. 2d 619 (Fla. 4th DCA 1969) and State v. Presley, 458 So. 2d 847 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984). DOWNEY, DELL and STONE, JJ., concur.…
Authorities Cited
- Rosenberg v. State, 264 So. 2d 68 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972)
- Elmy v. State, 329 So. 2d 383 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976)
- State v. Warren, 329 So. 2d 383 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976)